St. Niphon, the Patriarch of Constantinople...

…before he ascended the episcopal throne had been a novice at St. Dionysios’ holy monastery (on Mt. Athos). After he had directed the Church of Christ for many years, he resigned from the throne and returned to the monastery where he toiled for his repentance, without revealing his identity.

He said that his name was Nicholas and that he desired to be a monk. The hegumen (abbot) warned him first that it was customary in the monastery for every beginner to be assigned the task of caring for the monastery’s animals. The saint accepted with joy and stayed outside where the stable was and took care of the mules, feeding, watering, andkeeping them clean. He thus demonstrated insurmountable patience and humility.

Every night the monks saw a pillar of light rising from the stable to the sky. They told the hegumen about it, and the hegumen in turn prayed to God to reveal to him the meaning of this supernatural happening. And indeed it was revealed immediately to the hegumen that this person whom he had assigned the task of animal care, who also had to carry firewood from the forest, the Niphon the Ecumenical Patriarch who long ago had been one of the brotherhood of the monastery.

On the same night of this revelation to the hegumen, who was overwhelmed by the saint’s total humility, he called all the priests and deacons and asked them to vest and to stand in line with the other monks carrying the liturgical fans, candles and incense, waiting to receive the saint when he returned from the forest leading the animals and carrying firewood. When he arrived wearing his old raso and with dust on his uncombed hair, they all fell on their knees asking for his blessing and saying, “Our Patriarch, your humility is enough! Take your shepherd’s staff and lead us all to the pasture of salvation!”

from An Athonite Gerontikon